Empaths are people like you and me. The reason why this particular group of people has been categorized is because of their unusually impressive ability to sense external thoughts and emotion.

I am sure you have heard of the social issues experienced by empaths. For example, they find crowed places to be quite overwhelming; the continuous external emotional stimuli lead to the confusion of their own emotions with those of others around them.

The simplest way to describe them is through their ability to absorb the emotional frequencies of others, just like an “emotional sponge.”

The chances for you to encounter an empath are quite low, because they account for around five percent of the total human population.

But interestingly, a lot of old souls tend to exhibit the same qualities that empaths do and there seems to be a link between old souls and empaths.

In this article, I will try to analyze the relation between empaths and old souls and see what I can find.

Historical perspective of “Living Energy”

But before venturing any further, let’s take a brief look at what history tells us about empaths.

According to knowledge that has survived the test of time and several wars, the Incan civilization was aware of this trait prevalent in empaths.

According to Incan view of the world, there was a concept known as living energy or KawsayPacha. Meaning, they viewed the nature as a living and responsive entity and a part of the larger cosmos, which is a vibrating field of pure energy.

Incans used to believe that the world they were born into was just as conscious and aware of its existence as we are. And that every living thing is capable of experiencing the energy emitted from another living thing, just as it was its own.

The people born with this ability were considered to be blessed because it allowed them to effortlessly cultivate a soulful connection with all forms of living energies that exist in nature.

They would learn to harmonize their existence with their surroundings and energetic reciprocity called Ayni, which according to their belief exists within all living creatures.

When the living energies of two entities, such as humans, animals and plants, interact with each other, the different energies collide and create confusion.

Empaths were the few who were able to differentiate between various forms of energy, whether it was a completely similar frequency or opposing energy. This understanding would allow them to harmonize the energetic encounter of living forces.

The connection between Empaths and Old Souls

All of us can experience empathy to some extent. Empaths, however, differ because they experience on such an intense level that they have difficulty distinguishing between their own emotions and those that they absorb from their surroundings.

Highly sensitive people, on the other hand, are a bit different in the sense that they possess hyper physical sensitivity since birth.

Meaning, the neurochemistry of their brain allows them to be overly receptive to emotional stimuli. Their sensitivity allows them to experience the emotional changes within people, as they occur.

But it is important to understand that not all highly sensitive people exhibit the qualities of an empath.

When it comes to old souls, there is a difference. Their sensitivity is slightly different in the sense that there is no physical relation to their sensitivity, but it’s rather their spiritual capacity.

This doesn’t necessarily means that all old souls can be considered empaths; they are capable of experiencing the living energies around them because they are spiritually attuned.

The inherent spiritual attunement possessed by old souls is further enhancing their energy by being reborn many times and appropriating many lessons. The more a soul’s energy experiences consciousness and then returns to its origin, the blurrier the lines between “I” and “that” becomes – it’s a purer perspective of the world, as a whole.

Through this process of soul aging, the consciousness becomes less defined, leaving our intuitive receptors to be left open to freely experience our own emotions and, in the process, the emotional vibrations of those around them.

We tend to believe that with age comes wisdom. Similarly, as a soul matures, it is less concerned with superficial aspects governing our mortal realms and this erosion of self, ego and all other inherent impediments, lead towards receptivity.

Hence, old souls are much more likely to be empaths due to their willingness to experience more than what they are.

Always remember that being an empath is more valuable than anything you could possibly hope to achieve. If you are experiencing trouble adjusting to society, you simply need to learn to center yourself and become more aware of your ability.

Your awareness will allow you to filter the continuous stimuli and prevent yourself from shouldering the vast and endless suffering that exists all around us.

About the author:Helen Elizabeth Williams is the owner of DreamcatcherReality.com, where she is a staff writer. Her passions are: spirituality, meditation and polo. She adores all animals, but horses have a special place in her heart. She loves the diversity of our cultures, the beauty of simple people and the harmony of Mother Nature. ♥